Lee Mason-Ellis, CEO of The Pioneer Academy Trust, shares how utilising OLEVI’s coaching programmes and TLC Model has revolutionised the Trust’s six schools, from ones ‘no-one wanted’, to being graded Good or Outstanding in a matter of years.

Why were we drawn to OLEVI programmes?

OLEVI’s coaching ethos is reflective of our own academy’s vision and mantra. We wanted to continue improvement in teaching and learning, and develop leadership further across all the trust’s schools. We also needed CPD that focused on pedagogy, not just curriculum content, to ensure consistent results in both teacher development and outcomes for pupils.

How did the OLEVI programmes used help achieve your goal?

Our partnership with OLEVI has ensured that our academy fully embeds a coaching culture across the Academy Trust.

Power of Coaching (POC) delegates initially became coaches in their own schools. As we have grown as an Academy Trust, those POC delegates now have coachees from the schools that most recently joined us, particularly the smaller schools where there are not as many trained coaches.

Some of our schools have organised teachers and teaching assistants into learning trios so that they can observe each other’s practice, and feed back to each other, using a coaching model.

The leaders within the Trust have completed the Advanced Power of Coaching (APOC) Programme so they can lead the coaching strategy within their own schools, but also coach a Deputy Headteacher in another Pioneer Academy school (not their own) to further develop our next generation of Headteachers.

“Investment in coaching has been a crucial part of the success achieved by the Pioneer Academy schools. Coaching has united staff at all levels, opening up valuable communication channels that improve the quality of teaching and learning. It has opened up a state of mind where learning and progression is key, helping individuals help themselves, and maintaining long-term sustainable success.”